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Cancer Hospital Chain Pitches In To Help a Philadelphia Food Bank

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The Philadelphia area hunger relief organization Philabundance is getting a two-fer: volunteers and a donation from a chain of cancer hospitals.

At the Philabundance warehouse today in South Philadelphia, spokeswoman Lindsey Bues said food insecurity in the Philadelphia area is a pressing issue.

“Philabundance recently surveyed its member organizations, and we’re seeing a 29-percent increase in need compared to last year,” she said.

This week, health care management trainees from Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Philadelphia, Chicago, Phoenix, Tulsa, and Atlanta were volunteering at Philabundance, for a combined 150-plus hours of service.

Tiffany Payette of Phoenix says she enjoyed giving back.

“Philabundance is an amazing organization — what a well tuned machine!” she said.

Eric Evans works nearby at the CTCA hospital in Philadelphia.

“I’m learning things about Philabundance that I didn’t know, like the amount of people they help in the area,” he tells KYW Newsradio.

CTCA also wrote a $15,000 check to help the nonprofit food bank. Philabundance says it is able to provide two meals for each dollar donated.